THE PANAGBENGA 2018 GRAND FLOAT PARADE

BAGUIO CITY July 06 – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said he will first meet the officers of the different association of truckers in Baguio and Benguet to ascertain their compliance to the implementation of the temporary relief from the city's truck ban ordinance pending the approval of the amendments being worked out by the members of the City Council.

The local chief executive pointed out he received reports that some of the truckers have questionable stickers that were posted on their trucks allowing them to be exempted from the truck ban while others have reproduced the limited numbers that were provided them to be able to travel from their points of origin to their destinations.

Earlier, 11 members of the local legislative body wrote Mayor Domogan expressing no objection to the implementation of the pertinent provisions of Administrative Order No. 050, series of 2017 that granted exemptions to certain groups of truckers from the coverage of the truck ban.

The local legislators also requested the mayor to adopt measures to deter abuse and the cancellation wholly or partly of exemptions granted for violations committed by those that were granted the exemptions.

Under the Administrative Order, a maximum of 30 trucks loaded with perishable goods like agricultural crops will be exempted from the coverage of the truck ban ordinance while for cutflower truckers, 10 trucks will be exempted from the ban during Thursdays to Saturdays while 7 trucks will be exempted from Sundays to Wednesdays.

Water delivery trucks will be exempted from the truck ban while trucks loaded with finished mine products from Philex mines will also be granted exemption from the ban.

The local legislators admitted the amendments to the provisions of Ordinance No. 05, series of 2017 or the city's truck ban ordinance will have to take a little more time because of the need to balance the interest of the city and the truckers as the implementation of the measure has resulted to significant relief among the motorists because of lesser traffic congestions.

Mayor Domogan claimed the meeting is intended to thresh out the problems raised during the implementation of the exemptions to the truck ban so that the truckers will not be delayed in the delivery of their products to the markets in the lowlands and Metro Manila.

He explained the issuance of the order was intended to provide a stop-gap measure to the plight of the truckers who were not earlier exempted from the coverage of the truck ban and that the submission of the order to the council for confirmation was intended to involve the members of the local legislative body in granting the exemptions to the sectors who deserve to be exempted from the coverage of the truck ban ordinance.

He emphasized he saw merit in the clamor of various sectors in seeking exemption from the coverage of the truck ban ordinance because of the need for perishable goods to be immediately brought to the markets.